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“The opioid epidemic is a critical and complex social problem that cuts across and impacts our society,” said Dr. George Kikano, dean of the College of Medicine. “It’s going to take collaboration and creative solutions across many disciplines to mitigate this widespread problem.”

'An equal-opportunity destroyer'

Ashley calls the nation's opioid epidemic "an equal-opportunity destroyer," and he should know. Addictions have been the focus of his work for more than 40 years.

The stereotypical junkie and street pusher are less common these days, Ashley said, and drug users today come from all walks of life.

Ashley said many people now turn to heroin after unsuccessful attempts to get opioid pain medication that their doctors have stopped prescribing and/or their insurance companies have stopped covering.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioid overdoses in 2015 killed 33,091 people in the U.S. That's more than twice the 15,696 homicides reported by the FBI.

Kikano said the center has what it takes to present a forum on such a serious topic.

"We believe the center can contribute to bringing expertise together, and connecting that expertise with others in the community to build solutions that otherwise no single organization or institution could achieve," he said.

What's next for the center? Nothing specific yet, but Kikano said there's a lot of expertise to build on. He cited mobile health and wellness, autism, communications, public health and human services, and psychiatry and behavior treatments.

"Collaborations in many of these areas could be encouraged by the center in the future," he said.

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College of Medicine; College of Education and Human Services; The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions; Health; Health Administration; Health Care; Medicine; Physician Assistant; Public Health; Theater